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Nothing turns on! Car starts when jumped.

Tiny
DANIEKING
  • MEMBER
  • 1990 HONDA ACCORD
  • 210,000 MILES
The dome lights, seatbelts, radio, clock, turn on as usual when the car has sat for 2+ hours. When I put the key in the ignition and turn it, everything shuts off. Car can't start. All electricity immediately turns off and does not turn back on until several hours of sitting again. Can't even get activity from ignition, it turns off before the engine turns over! When the battery is attached to the jumper cables everything starts right up. The battery seems to keep its charge but when its not connected the system shorts out.
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 8:58 PM

9 Replies

Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
Start by having the ignition switch checked out
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 9:01 PM
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
Have battery tested or swap another in to check your system. Sounds like bad battery or bad connections.
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 9:03 PM
Tiny
DANIEKING
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I got new spark plugs, new ignition wires, and some oil leaks fixed back in january and got a new battery then as well. Still a battery problem?
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 9:11 PM
Tiny
DANIEKING
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Switched out the battery, no change. Connections look fine, no corrosion. Cleaned things anyway, but still no change.
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Sunday, November 6th, 2011 AT 10:59 PM
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
What about ignition switch? Do you think it's original?
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Monday, November 7th, 2011 AT 2:02 AM
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
Is it a top post battery? The jump cables are on cables and not battery so you must have a weak connection to battery at cables? I've had to sand/scrape to clean metal on some connectors/posts to get good connection.
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Monday, November 7th, 2011 AT 2:12 AM
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
Try this, unhook your cables from your battery and then use the jumpers to connect from your cables to your battery.
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Monday, November 7th, 2011 AT 2:14 AM
Tiny
DANIEKING
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
You were right, the mechanic replaced the battery cables because they were worn out and too lose, with no ability to tighten them anymore. Starts up just fine now. Im also getting the boot replaced because the right boot was torn. What exactly does that mean? And what would happen if it wasnt replaced?
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Monday, November 7th, 2011 AT 10:11 PM
Tiny
FIXITMR
  • MECHANIC
  • 9,990 POSTS
I assume you mean axle boot? Boot being torn would lead to drying out of joint for lack of lubrication and then locking up/breaking. Then car would not move. I have had bad boots where I just added grease to regularly and got by that way. Eventually doing boot or whole axle if it got noisy.
Of course there is also a steering boot?
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Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 AT 4:25 AM

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